Friday, August 8 –
SOUTH AFRICA UNDER-18 ‘A’ 36 IRELAND UNDER-18 SCHOOLS 39, Hoërskool Durbanville, Cape Town
Scorers: South Africa U-18 ‘A’: Tries: Jeffrey Singo, Reinhart Viljoen 2, Ncuthu Kepe, Lizwe Mthethwa; Cons: Jeandre Uithaler 4; Pen: Jeandre Uithaler
Ireland U-18 Schools: Tries: Lee Fitzpatrick 2, Bernard White 2, Alex Lautsou; Cons: Luke Coffey 2, Connor McVicker 2; Pens: Connor McVicker 2
HT: South Africa U-18 ‘A’ 26 Ireland U-18 Schools 19
Ireland started and finished the first-half’s scoring, with captain Lee Fitzpatrick and debutant Alex Lautsou both touching down, but South Africa U-18 ‘A’ capitalised on Ben Guerin’s yellow card to lead 26-19 at half-time.
In the Blackrock College prop’s absence, South African backs Reinhart Viljoen and Ncuthu Kepe grabbed tries, cancelling out a Bernard White effort, and Viljoen went over again approaching the interval.
However, Fitzpatrick and player-of-the-match White completed their braces by the 50th minute, either side of a Lizwe Mthethwa score, and Michael Hodge’s youngsters prevailed late on thanks to their dynamic bench.
It was pulsating start to the U-18 Men’s International Series, the teams trading blows in a thrilling 10-try contest. Ireland’s leading Schools talent will face South Africa, the 43-21 winners over France, on Tuesday (kick-off 1.30pm local time/12.30pm Irish time – live on the SuperSports Schools platform).
An early counter ruck gave Ireland a penalty as props Jamie Bohan and Guerin followed up on Jonathon Ginnety’s initial tackle, and Lautsou got over the ball. Fitzpatrick then showed his power, breaking off a lineout maul to score the opening try after barely three minutes.
The tricky wind denied Luke Coffey’s conversion, and the scrum half was quickly back in defence to deny Jeneall Davids an immediate response. However, the Irish lineout misfired, and South African prop Jeffrey Singo burrowed over successfully having earlier been held up.
The home side led 7-5 thanks to Jeandre Uithaler’s conversion until the 12th minute when White crashed over from a Coffey pass. The attack was sparked by Paul Neary’s cross-field kick out to James Browne, and Lautsou’s powerful carry to get the forwards on the march.
Coffey’s conversion restored the five-point lead (12-7), and although Jon Rodgers dug in well to win a turnover penalty soon after, the momentum swung behind South Africa U-18 ‘A’ when loosehead Guerin was sin-binned for collapsing a 16th-minute maul.
The South Africans got on top with their driving play and scrummaging, and worked Viljoen and Kepe over in quick succession for a sudden 21-12 advantage. Viljoen led a fleet-footed break straight from the restart, releasing winger Kepe for a slick finish from halfway.
Rodgers, Wallace High School’s Ulster Schools Senior Cup-winning captain, intercepted a pass from Quintin Potgieter, briefly knocking the South Africans off their stride. Nonetheless, further pressure led to Viljoen twisting his way over the whitewash from a tap penalty.
Importantly, Ireland managed to hit back just before the break. Harry Waters, Fitzpatrick, and Andrew Henson got on the ball before a penalty put them in range, and Lautsou expertly finished off a series of pick and drives. Coffey’s left boot left seven points in it.
There were more positives signs for the touring outfit with an early second-half scrum penalty, and good work from Geoff Wall and Waters during a free-flowing attack.
Fitzpatrick connected with Ginnety at two successive lineouts before being driven over for a deserved second try, converted neatly by newly-introduced replacement scrum half McVicker.
South Africa turned their next bout of pressure into points, though, to move back in front at 33-26. After their forwards had hammered away, replacement Mickyle Booise took a quick tap and fed centre Mthethwa to bounce off a tackle and score in the 47th minute.
Crucially for Hodge’s charges, Joe Christle carried on where Fitzpatrick left off in the hooker role. The lively replacement linked with Browne to take Ireland back into the South African 22, and following Henson’s clever jinking run, White produced a terrific finish to the right of the posts.
The physical Blackrock centre evaded one tackle, shrugged off Viljoen’s challenge, and stretched out to score despite two more tackles from Juvan Burden and Kepe close to the line. McVicker nailed the conversion to square things up at 33-all, with 20 minutes remaining.
Ireland’s share of possession and territory continued to rise with Ginnety stealing a lineout, his second row partner Jamie Walsh bursting past halfway, and Regent House’s Tom Bell popping up more in attacking situations.
A foot in touch denied South Africa U-18 ‘A’ skipper Uithaler what would have been a swashbuckling breakaway try, and Ireland gradually clawed back those lost metres. Harry Gosling secured turnover ball, and fellow replacement Daniel O’Connell displayed his high-fielding skills.
At a key stage of the encounter, White intercepted an attempted offload from Viljoen. With the hosts caught offside following an incisive Guerin carry, McVicker split the posts to make it 36-33 with 63 minutes on the clock.
Two scrum penalties, the last one looking a harsh call, teed up Uithaler to kick his side level, only for Ireland to finish the stronger. Debutant O’Connell rose to win the restart kick from Charlie O’Connor, getting the green shirts on the move again.
Strong carries from props Gosling and James Gould had the South African 22 within reach, and an offside call allowed McVicker to coolly send the ball sailing over from 15 metres in from the right touchline.
That proved to be the decisive score as Ireland defended smartly during the final seconds. They kept their opponents at arm’s length before Junaide Passensie knocked on in a tackle from White, and tireless flanker Wall found touch to seal a memorable victory.
TIME LINE: 4 minutes – Ireland U-18 Schools try: Lee Fitzpatrick – 0-5; conversion: missed by Luke Coffey – 0-5; 7 mins – South Africa U-18 ‘A’ try: Jeffrey Singo – 5-5; conversion: Jeandre Uithaler – 7-5; 12 mins – Ireland U-18 Schools try: Bernard White – 7-10; conversion: Luke Coffey – 7-12; 17 mins – Ireland U-18 Schools yellow card: Ben Guerin; 23 mins – South Africa U-18 ‘A’ try: Reinhart Viljoen – 12-12; conversion: Jeandre Uithaler – 14-12; 25 mins – South Africa U-18 ‘A’ try: Ncuthu Kepe – 19-12; conversion: Jeandre Uithaler – 21-12; 32 mins – South Africa U-18 ‘A’ try: Reinhart Viljoen – 26-12; conversion: missed by Jeandre Uithaler – 26-12; 35 mins – Ireland U-18 Schools try: Alex Lautsou – 26-17; conversion: Luke Coffey – 26-19; Half-time – South Africa U-18 ‘A’ 26 Ireland U-18 Schools 19; 43 mins – Ireland U-18 Schools try: Lee Fitzpatrick – 26-24; conversion: Connor McVicker – 26-26; 47 mins – South Africa U-18 ‘A’ try: Lizwe Mthethwa – 31-26; conversion: Jeandre Uithaler – 33-26; 49 mins – Ireland U-18 Schools try: Bernard White – 33-31; conversion: Connor McVicker – 33-33; 63 mins – Ireland U-18 Schools penalty: Connor McVicker – 33-36; 67 mins – South Africa U-18 ‘A’ penalty: Jeandre Uithaler – 36-36; 69 mins – Ireland U-18 Schools penalty: Connor McVicker – 36-39; Full-time – South Africa U-18 ‘A’ 36 Ireland U-18 Schools 39
SOUTH AFRICA U-18 ‘A’: Reinhart Viljoen (South Western Districts); Jeneall Davids (Western Province), Nathan Aneke (Sharks), Lizwe Mthethwa (Sharks), Ncuthu Kepe (Border); Jeandre Uithaler (Lions) (capt), Zirk Meyer (Bulls); Jeffrey Singo (Bulls), Keenan Myners (South Western Districts), Bernhard du Toit (Western Province), Diaan Augustyn (South Western Districts), Migael Turner (Western Province), Andile Ndlovu (Sharks), Liam Lightly (South Western Districts), Quintin Potgieter (Western Province).
Replacements used: Juvan Burden (Western Province) for Augustyn, Thomas Muller (Western Province) for Myners, Briint Davids (Western Province) for Ndlovu (all 44 mins), Mickyle Booise (Western Province) for Meyer, Pieta Cilliers (Western Province) for Singo (both 46), Junaide Passensie (Bulls) for J Davids (53), Ethan van Biljon (Western Province) for Mthethwa (58), Lian Terblanche (Sharks) for Burden (60). Not used: Deon Botes (Bulls), Sbabalwe Magwebu (Border), Erin Nelson (Eastern Province).
IRELAND U-18 SCHOOLS: Andrew Henson (Buccaneers RFC/Marist College/Connacht Rugby); Harry Waters (Ratoath College/Navan RFC/Leinster Rugby), Tom Bell (Ards RFC/Regent House School/Ulster Rugby), Bernard White (Blackrock College/Leinster Rugby), James Browne (Blackrock College/Leinster Rugby); Paul Neary (St. Mary’s College/Leinster Rugby), Luke Coffey (Blackrock College/Leinster Rugby); Ben Guerin (Blackrock College/Leinster Rugby), Lee Fitzpatrick (Newbridge College/Leinster Rugby) (capt), Jamie Bohan (Newbridge College/Leinster Rugby), Jonathon Ginnety (Castleknock College/Leinster Rugby), Jamie Walsh (Cistercian College Roscrea/Munster Rugby), Geoff Wall (Blackrock College/Leinster Rugby), Jon Rodgers (Wallace High School/Ulster Rugby), Alex Lautsou (Castletroy College/Munster Rugby).
Replacements used: James Gould (Wallace High School/Ulster Rugby) for Lautsou (23-30 mins), Harry Goslin (Belvedere College/Leinster Rugby) for Bohan, Adam Boyd (RBAI/Ulster Rugby) for Lautsou, Connor McVicker (Belfast Royal Academy/Ulster Rugby) for Coffey (all 43), Joe Christle (St. Mary’s College/Leinster Rugby) for Fitzpatrick (46), Geoff O’Sullivan (Terenure College/Leinster Rugby) for Waters, Charlie O’Connor (RBAI/Ulster Rugby) for Neary (both 50), Daniel O’Connell (Ardscoil Rís/Munster Rugby) for Browne (56), Fionn Rowsome (Crescent College Comprehensive/Munster Rugby) for Henson, Frank Maher (Terenure College/Leinster Rugby) for Walsh (both 60), Gould for Guerin, Lautsou for Rodgers (both 63).
Referee: Juan de Bod (SARU)